Never Give Up, Never Surrender
by Devious Decepticon
Summary: SEQUEL TO "MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE"! Megatron and Kayla had it all: a happy marriage, wonderful friends, and a beautiful family with two new members on the way. But life begins to spiral out of control when a mysterious new girl enters the picture...
1. On Baby Showers and New People

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! The Transformers are the sole property of Hasbro, and I'm merely a bored person who has nothing better to do with my time…

Note: I decided to bring everyone that died in the movie…BACK TO LIFE. MUHAHAHAHA!

Seriously, the more characters you have the more fun it is. NO FLAMES PLEASE! I'm always open to constructive criticism/beta offers. But being rude is seriously not cool. If you think my fic is THAT bad, then just stop reading it.

This is a sequel to More Than Meets the Eye, therefore, if you're a first-time reader, some things may confuse you a bit. If you do find yourself perplexed, bamboozled, or utterly baffled, simply refer back to the first story and things will clear up quickly for you.

Summary: Megatron and Kayla had it all: a happy marriage, wonderful friends, and a beautiful family with two new members on the way. But life begins to spiral out of control when a mysterious new girl enters the picture...

Author's Note: You know…my other story wasn't generating much interest. And after I thought about it for a while, I realized that I didn't need something new, I already have something great, and I'm not quite ready to give it up yet. So, my beloved readers, I give to you: a sequel! I hope you all enjoy at as much as I am, and don't forget to leave your thoughts in a review! Time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the story…

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Appearances can be deceiving. Very, very deceiving.

Outside, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the limbs of the trees surrounding the base were swaying gracefully in the light, early summer breeze. The world seemed to have relaxed into a peaceful slumber in the midst of this beautifully warm afternoon, content merely to sit and watch the fluffy white clouds gliding through the azure sky overhead. But inside the base, a battle was beginning to unfold: mech versus…nursery rhyme?

Seven months pregnant, and already the size of a zeppelin, she waddled out from her private chambers, down the hallway, and headed toward the staircase.

_Crap. I don't remember there being _this_ many frickn' stairs._

Heaving a sigh, she began the now very lengthy, very strenuous trek downstairs and to the rec room, her desire to know the source of the ensuing commotion fueling her to continue on. She was getting too far along for this; in a desperate attempt to stave off unnecessary weight, she kept active for as long as possible before resigning to her sedentary state of resting. But now, it seemed, that day would need to come slightly earlier than normal.

_Man, it's definitely that time. But I feel like such a slug…I'm normally almost nine months along before I start to vegetate!_

The bloated young woman sighed again, and paused momentarily on the midway landing to catch her breath, leaning heavily on the thick, carved banister.

_Then again, I'm carrying _two _kids this time around. God, I never imagined it would be so much more difficult…_

As she continued her descent, she nearly staggered down the first two steps when her mind lapsed into the major differences of this pregnancy: she was eating not for one, not even for two, but for _three_. She'd been exhausted from the moment the twins started kicking inside her; they were both lively little buggers, and kept her up nearly all night long with their constant tap dancing. So, with little sleep, two developing life forms inside her body sucking up all her nutrients, and these practically _constant_ interruptions of what small naps she could catch, she was becoming slightly edgier around everyone in general…even Optimus, the last person anyone would suspect of making, well, _anybody _cross.

Megatron couldn't be more proud of her. Thus far, she'd brought six beautiful sons into the world, and mothered them with such unquestionable skill, he wasn't quite sure how he could match her. In the beginning, he'd been terrified; he was responsible for raising a youngling, for molding and shaping him into a good person, for instilling morals and values, and for educating him in the ways of the world. Tasks which he thought were seemingly impossible, and had deemed himself unfit to carry out before he'd even attempted them. But after Optimus and Ratchet were born, things became much, much easier; each baby was a new beginning…a new life just waiting to unfold. Many, many years ago, when he'd still existed in his Cybertronian form, he'd hated younglings; they were messy, noisy, incompetent, incapable of simple tasks, and were merely a waste of resources. But now, as a father, he realized just how much of a blessing they were, and how incredible it was to watch each new life gain personality and temperament…develop into a unique individual, learning and growing with each passing day.

It was this that compelled her onward through the rougher times: knowing she had a husband who loved their babies as much as she did, and knowing that he was willing to endure the rough, hormonal roller coaster ride that was necessary to reach their destination. Times like this, when she was fatigued, cranky, bloated, and craving ridiculous food…when her feet swelled, her back ached, and he'd massaged them both without complaint. He was, without a doubt, her rock. A rock that was currently out for a bit of well-earned fun with his friends, thus leaving her some peace and quiet in which to rest.

_Too bad I didn't get to actually _sleep.

Thankfully, the last flight of stairs was nearly at an end, and she immediately sat down on the nearest footstool once she'd reached the ground floor of the base. Yes, it was definitely time to begin using the elevator again, as much as she detested being lazy. Down the hall, she could catch quick moments of mumbling, followed shortly thereafter by a sharp curse, and the all too recognizable _"THUD!" _of someone punching into the wall. She sat still for a moment, quietly listening for any new developments as she adjusted on the too-small seat, her ever-growing belly obscuring her feet from view as she leaned forward a bit.

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star_

_How I wonder what you are_

_Up above the…"_

The song paused momentarily, and when the singer couldn't find the next set of lyrics, a very audible "SLAG!" reached her ears, even through the thick walls reinforced with concrete. Half-amused, half-irritated, she managed to push herself up from the footstool, and wobbled unsteadily for several seconds before she regained her equilibrium and headed off toward the rec room in a zigzagged line. Despite herself, she could feel a smile slowly spreading across her lips as she neared the doors, slowly pushing one open before toddling and making her presence known.

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker…what in the world is all this god-awful noise?"

The Lamborghini twins quieted almost instantaneously, and identical grins spread across their equally identical faces.

"Hey Kayla!" Sideswipe kneeled down, and projected his holoform before the immensely pregnant young woman, embracing her as best as he could with the enormous bulge pushing against him. He placed a friendly peck on her cheek before informing her genuinely, "You look great!"

"I hate to admit it," joined Sunstreaker, also projecting his holoform and embracing his friend. "But lugnut's right. You're looking pretty good." He too gave her a chaste peck on the cheek before rubbing her belly affectionately, another rare smile gracing his lips as he felt a series of fluttering kicks in response.

It was true…Kayla was looking exceptionally nice this afternoon; gone were her usual baggy t-shirt and faded blue jeans, replaced instead with a nice, brown low-cut v neck shirt and a dark pair of denim maternity jeans. She wore matching brown flip flops on her feet, consistent with her claim that shoelace tying ended after around month seven and a half. Her hair had grown out quite a bit, nearly reaching her breasts, and hung in loose, sun-bleached waves, a constantly errant lock of hair perpetually dangling in front of her right eye. As per usual, she wore no makeup, her clean facial features rendering her younger than her numerical age, only becoming more pronounced as she smiled at them, a knowing gleam flickering in her eyes.

"Well…thank you," she hazarded, finding a human couch and slowly lowering herself into the cushions. "My baby shower's in a couple hours." She quirked an eyebrow at the twins. "You _are_ coming, right?"

"Of course!" both exclaimed, taking a seat on either side of her. Sideswipe managed to beat his brother to the punch, and asked, "Did you _really_ think we'd miss our own godsons' baby shower?"

The expectant mother laughed good naturedly, playfully punching him the arm. "Nah. I'm just messin' with you guys…" Without warning, the babies launched into a frenzy of kicking, making Kayla gasp and clutch her stomach. "Christ..." she laughed again once the movement abated. "They must've heard you two butchering the nursery rhymes I've been singing to them." The brothers both opened their mouths to protest, but she continued on, launching into nagging mother mode. "And what have I told you two about all this profanity? Just yesterday, Little Ratchet came up to me and asked 'Where his slagging cupcake' was."

The Lamborghini twins burst into hysterical laughter, clutching one another as they sank to the floor, and began to roll around on the carpet. Kayla's eyebrows turned down, her eyes narrowed, and she leaned as far over as the babies would allow; even round and swollen, she was still intimidating…not to mention hormonal. Almost immediately after they caught her cold, steely gaze, their laughter ceased, and they cleared their throats before gravely clambering back up onto the sofa.

"It's…not…funny." They could tell this wasn't a joke; she was pissed, and if they didn't sober up quickly, they'd find their faces at the business end of her fist. "I understand it's not a _human_ curse word," she locked eyes with them both, "but used in that context, it's still a curse word nonetheless. Little Ratchet was using profanity, and it was because he heard _you two_ saying that word first." Sunstreaker opened his mouth to protest, but she swiftly cut him off. "My children look up to all of you, and you're doing nothing but setting a bad example for them; they don't even _know_ that it's an obscenity, and they're walking around spouting it off like nothing's wrong." She let this sink in for a moment before continuing with a small smile, "I have no problems if you guys swear when the kids aren't around. God, I'd think something was _wrong_ with you if you didn't. I mean, you guys know _exactly_ how coarse my language is when the little guys are away…" All three grinned broadly at one another, the twins suppressing laughter at the thought of just how wide Optimus' optics had opened the first time he'd heard her go on a full-blown swearing rant.

After a moment of so of comfortable silence, Sunstreaker flickered off his holoform, stretched out his robotic form, his gears clicking and joints creaking, and checked his internal clock. "We should probably gather everybody up," he suggested, noting that they'd managed to kill about an hour and a half of time. Scanning the proximity briefly, the yellow twin questioned, "So…where's that husband of yours?"

Kayla yawned hugely, unconsciously scratching her abdomen as she did so. "Outside with the other guys." She just barely managed to finish before another yawn overtook her, her eyelids drooping and her head tilting forward.

Following his brother's lead, Sideswipe deactivated his holoform, and carefully stroked her hair with a very large finger. "Hey Kay…maybe you should catch some recharge. We've still got some time before the baby shower."

Jolting upright, she made a move to stand up. "I can't," she admitted tiredly, growling something unintelligible as she merely fell back onto the sofa, her attempt at getting up pitifully thwarted. "I'll oversleep."

"No, you won't." Sunstreaker kneeled down once more, and gently pushed her shoulders back with his fingertips, coaxing her to lie down. "We'll wake you up…"

The twins smiled as she instantly began to fade, her eyes slowly closing bit by bit, and her gaze fogging over. "Promise?"

"Promise."

It didn't take more than ten seconds before she relaxed, and fully succumbed to sleepiness. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, her mouth opened just slightly, and her hair had swirled all around her like a thick, light brown whirlpool. Too tired to care, Kayla's arms were sprawled out at odd angles, in positions that looked to be extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately for him, Megatron just happened to walk in on this heartwarming little scene: the Lamborghini twins kneeling over his sleeping, pregnant wife, watching her attentively as though she were the most fascinating thing their optics had ever beheld. Without much of a response, the two mechs acknowledged his appearance with a slight nod of their heads before they returned their gazes to the dozing mother, watching in fascination as their godsons began to move about in her womb, creating swirling patterns underneath her skin.

Smiling warmly, Megatron walked up to the couch, leaned over the side, and placed a tender kiss atop his wife's head before adjusting her arms to lie flat on her chest, enjoying the feel of her velvety skin beneath his fingers. Standing beside the two mechs, he too stared at Kayla, questioning softly, "Isn't she cute?"

They both nodded mutely. "You're very lucky," said Sideswipe with a smile, quickly stifling his snort of laughter when a frown pulled at her face, and she grumbled,"Megatron, you bastard. That was _my_ fudge brownie…"

"Not all sweet, though," laughed Sunstreaker, placing a large hand on the human's shoulder. "She's like a shot of high grade: it's sweet, but definitely has some bite to it."

"Some bite?" The ex-Decepticon smirked devilishly when he saw the faces of the twins blanch. "One time, before the kids were born, she left marks that lasted for almost _six months._"

Neither Lamborghini knew whether to be shocked, frightened, or aroused, and simply left before anything else could be said, leaving the human alone with his wife. He grinned in her direction; even almost eight months pregnant, she was still wild, not even calming down a bit until just before the final month of her term. To be completely honest, Kayla was a bit happy that this pregnancy would be her final one; she missed fitting in her little, non-stretchy jeans, and being able to bare her belly once in a while. She missed being able to bend over whenever she wanted, and being able to have an occasional drink…Ever since around the age of nineteen, she'd been pregnant almost constantly, and to tell the truth, it was getting a bit old. Now twenty-six years old, she was ready to cut loose, and have some fun with her family. Megatron didn't know whether to be happy for her, or mourn the fact that the twins were to be his last newborns…that they were done having children.

_Yes…eight will definitely be enough._

"What're you thinking about?"

He jumped about a foot out of his skin, an expletive slipping past his lips as he whirled around. "Oh…Kayla. You nearly scared the slag outta me."

Laughing heartily, she extended her arms in his direction, silently asking to be hoisted upright; her husband didn't need to be asked twice, and grabbed her wrists before pulling her solidly to her feet, the bulge of her belly bumping into him and pushing him backwards a bit.

"God," she groaned, glaring at Megatron when he burst into a raucous peal of laughter. "This freaking sucks. I'm about the size of a small freighter-"

"Oh, stop," he embraced her again, kissing her gently before informing her, "You're just as beautiful as the day I met you." She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed two fingers over her lips, knowing exactly what she was going to say next. "But you're more beautiful than ever because you're the bearer of our children; I feel extremely lucky to have you…"

Kayla sniffled several times, barely holding back her hormone-induced tears. "Really?"

He placed a kiss on her nose, and drew her in for another hug. "Really."

"Megatron, I-"

"C'mon you guys!" Both husband and wife jumped at the sudden intrusion, but relaxed once Sideswipe's silver face poked in through the doorway, eager and excited. "We're all waiting for you!"

The mech watched as silent words were exchanged between the couple, intrigued by their deep communication; they seemed to be speaking telepathically, merely their thoughts, not their voices, conversing. Sideswipe himself had never been in that profound of a relationship, so of course, it is completely natural that he would be curious. Subtle body shifts and facial expressions were the only indicators of what they might have been "speaking" about, and he watched with great interest as Kayla frowned, making Megatron recoil and a pleading expression cross his face. Finally, her body relaxed and she smiled, opening her arms for an embrace; he nearly jumped at the chance, squeezing her as tightly as he could without squashing the babies inside her womb, and offered her his arm. She took it with a wave toward Sideswipe, motioning for him to come along as well, and he trailed behind them, his thoughts completely lost.

_Primus, humans are confusing._

He watched as she purposely bumped hips with Megatron, and grew more confused when his free hand snaked behind her back, and pinched her rear end; she shrieked, and smacked him playfully on the arm before they resumed their walk outside to the waiting party.

_Scratch that. Humans are _very _confusing. _

* * *

"Oh Becka!" breathed Kayla, lifting two onesies from the tissue paper in the gift box. "They're adorable!"

She held them up for the guests to see, and they responded with an excited murmur of agreement. Becka, a very close friend of Kayla's, had given her a set of onesies, one red with 'Sideswipe' embroidered on the front, and one yellow with 'Sunstreaker' embroidered on the front as well.

"So you can tell them apart when they're born," she explained with a smile, gasping as her friend crushed her lungs in a suffocating hug.

"Speaking of which," interrupted Megatron, staring at the twins in curiosity. "Which one of you is older? We're naming the twins in their respective order of birth…"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stared at each other. "Well," began the red twin with earnest. "There's always been quite an issue with that…"

"Glitch-head thinks he was born first," Sunstreaker butted in. "But _I'm _really the firstborn."

"Yeah right!" Sideswipe stood, and shoved his brother on the shoulders. "_I _was born first!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were _not not not!_"

"Were _**too too too**_!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"_ENOUGH!_" bellowed Ratchet, his sirens flashing dangerously as he stood, and parted the two quarreling Lamborghinis. The twins immediately recoiled, slinking back away from him as though he held a wrench, waiting to be thrown, in his hand. "This is ridiculous! You're acting like a couple of sparklings!" Some unnamed instrument protruded from one of the many cavities in his armor. "A simple scan can determine which of you the elder is!"

They two nodded their heads, and neither one of them spoke as the medic ran a scan on them both, the translucent red beam making a complete sweep of each of their bodies.

"Sunstreaker," said Ratchet with a small smile. "You're younger than Sideswipe by two minutes."

"YES!" crowed the red twin, pumping his fist triumphantly into the air as his brother gawked. "TOLD YA!"

Sunstreaker grumbled something under his breath, some sort of insult no doubt, but said nothing and returned to his seat. After several amusing minutes of dancing around, Sideswipe did the same, and the party guests all launched into a fit of poorly concealed snickering. If Kayla and Megatron's twins inherited their godfathers' personality traits, there would be two _long _and _interesting_ childhoods ahead of the parents.

The afternoon quickly faded and gave way to night; the twinkle lights in the trees were turned on, the music was turned up, and champagne and high grade were being passed around to all the attendees. This is when things started to go a bit haywire…Blackout quickly disappeared with Barricade back into the base to do who _knows_ what; Optimus broke away with Ratchet, quietly discussing new modifications for their base, which was normal enough; Will, Epps, Glen, and Megatron, got, more or less, completely tanked and started 'singing' the Garth Brooks song "I've Got Friends In Low Places" at the tops of their voices, Ironhide, Wheeljack, and Bonecrusher joining in after they'd looked up the lyrics on their internal browsers, Western drawls mixing with intoxicated slurs.

_"Blame it all on my roots,  
_

_I showed up in boots,  
_

_And ruined your black tie affair._

_  
The last one to know,  
_

_The last one to show,  
_

_I was the last one you thought you'd see there."_

The females present rolled their eyes, and crowded around Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Bumblebee, and Jazz; the four mechs were all grinning like fools as they answered questions about themselves, their colorful lives, and their home in a mysterious, faraway galaxy…now _this_ was their kind of party.

"Well," started Suntreaker with a cocky smile. "Back home, my bro and I are speed _legends_. So I guess being a Lambo is just part of who we are…"

The females all "oohed" and "ahed" over this tidbit of information, and fawned the twins with more affection; one of the few who seemed to be immune to their charm, Kayla burst out laughing at their flashiness-borderline-mating dance, but changed it to a hacking cough, casting the twins an evil, all-knowing smile.

After a long period of Q&A, attention now turned to the expectant mother, who was currently having her hair braided by Mikaela. Both girls were so deeply immersed in their hushed conversation that they barely heard the question being directed at Kayla, especially with a bunch of drunken idiots singing country songs nearby.

"_And I saw a surprise,  
_

_And the fear in his eyes,  
_

_When I took his glass of champange,  
_

_  
I toasted you,  
_

_Said honey we may be through,  
_

_But you'll never hear me complain,"_

"What was that?" asked Kayla, her eyes narrowing at the difficulty of hearing. "I can't hear you with those_ MORONS_ making a racket over there!" The last part was obviously directed at the intoxicated humans and mechs, who paid her no mind and continued to sing as though nothing had happened. She grimaced, and turned her attention to the girl who'd spoken to her. "I don't think we've met, actually…"

"Oh, yeah!" Mikaela stopped fiddling with her friend's hair, and gestured to the strange young woman. "Kayla, this is my cousin Monica. Monica, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Kayla."

Both girls exchanged polite greetings and waved before Monica spoke again. "So…" her eyes wandered to the group of men and mechs wandering around aimlessly and shrieking the lyrics to their song, looking for one in particular. "What's Megatron like?"

"Megatron?" Kayla looked confused for a moment, then thought carefully. "Oh…well, he's-"

The group made their wobbly way slightly closer, laughing hysterically when Epps tripped over a protruding stone and fell down; they haphazardly helped him to his feet once again, and continued bellowing like happy fools.

"_'Cause I got friends in low places,  
_

_Where the Whiskey drowns,  
_

_And the Beer chases my blues away,  
_

_But I'll be okay,  
_

_Now I'm not big on social graces,  
_

_Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,  
_

_Oh I got friends,  
_

_In low places"_

Kayla looked thoroughly disgusted, but continued on anyway. "He's wonderful. He can be a bit of a dick sometimes, but then again, can't all men be?" All the females present giggled, throwing in two cents about their boyfriends and husbands. After the laughter subsided, she went starry-eyed, and proceeded, "No…but he's sweet, and loving, and caring…_romantic_." The group of girls breathed out a collective sigh. "He's great with the kids, loves them as much as my father loved me."

"You got _so_ lucky!" exclaimed Maggie, her eyes wide and her face smiling. "Megatron's such a hunk…"

Several shouts of, "Amen!" went up, and Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, and Jazz all pouted.

"We're not hunky?" Sideswipe stuck out his lower lip, Sunstreaker widened his optics and misted them over with cleaning solution. Jazz's entire demeanor seemed to sag, and Wheeljack put on the most convincing kicked-puppy face that the girls had ever seen.

"AWW!" The females moved closer, preparing to climb up onto the mechs and console them when-

_-click-_

All the girls shrieked in feminine delight when they turned on their holoforms, four gorgeous male specimens appearing right before their eyes.

"C'mere, you."

Before anyone in the vicinity could blink, Wheeljack strode forward, plucked Becka from the crowd, and carried her off in a different direction, away from the group. Nearby, the abrasive noise of the men and mechs singing was beginning to wear thin on Kayla's nerves…

"_I guess I was wrong I just don't belong  
_

_But then I've been there before,_

_Everything's alright  
_

_I'll just say goodnight and I'll show myself to the door_

_Hey I didn't mean to cause a big scene,_

_Just give me an hour and then,_

_I'll be as high as that Ivory Tower_

_And you'll never know"_

She looked around, searching for Becka and Wheeljack. No…she couldn't accompany them; this was probably another talk about his thoughts of conversion to the human race, followed by some intimacy. She couldn't interrupt that.

But something just felt…off. She felt as though she was being watched, and it made her itch uncomfortably in her skin. She hated that feeling, and searched fruitlessly for the source. Nothing. The guys were too drunk off their asses to possess that type of attention span; hell, it was surprising that they'd managed to sing this much of their song without becoming distracted. Still, the sensation persisted…and still, she couldn't find the source.

_God, whoever it is needs to just STOP before I wring their neck._

Kayla glanced at her watch: It was almost midnight, and she could feel her eyelids beginning to droop again. Man, that was depressing; everyone else was partying and having a good time, and she was pooped out already.

_Then again, I'm the only one pregnant, here._

Speak of the devil. It seemed that the twins had heard her thoughts, and decided to make their presence known by faintly wiggling around, their movements slightly slower than normal, as they were at the end of every day.

"You boys tired, too?" A couple weak kicks seemed to act as a response, and she smiled. "Yeah, me too." Rubbing her belly, she spoke softly to the twins. "Alright…Let's go say 'goodnight' to everybody, and then we'll go hit the hay."

Slowly, she waddled over to the three remaining mechs, who were still surrounded by the girls, looking so puffed up with arrogance she was sorely tempted to deflate them.

_Nah. I'll let 'em have their fun._

Behind her, she could hear the group of dolts getting closer, unbelievably, still slurring the lyrics to their song, toting around a few beers a piece, and leaning heavily on one another for support as they listed dangerously to the right, and then to the left.

"_'Cause I got friends in low places,  
_

_Where the Whiskey drowns,  
_

_And the Beer chases my blues away,  
_

_But I'll be okay,  
_

_Now I'm not big on social graces,  
_

_Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,  
_

_Oh I got friends,  
_

_In low places"_

Kayla sighed to herself. She'd have to put Megatron out in the living room of their quarters tonight; whenever he got himself nice and smashed like this, well…his sex drive nearly went through the roof, and she didn't exactly want to find herself the recipient of his amorous advances tonight. Two years ago, when she was pregnant with Bee, she'd actually accepted his implications…

_Never again._

Without warning, that unnatural sensation swept over her again, and she felt her skin crawl. Who the hell was staring at her? It was starting to get unnerving, but determined to not act like a victim, she stood up as tall as she could, and continued on over to the group of mechs. Jeez…what was this person's _problem_?

Now, Kayla could tell beyond a doubt that the group was wobbling after her, slowly but surely. She was so tempted to just tie a string from between two random trees, despite the fact that bending over was nearly impossible at this point, and watch as one of them tripped, and they all fell like dominoes.

_I'd have someone else do it _for_ me. I don't think I'd have a problem finding a willing person._

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she'd reached the lopsided circle of girls and mechs, all of whom were still showering attention onto the cocky guys. They immediately welcomed her back into their group, and broke away from the other females to come and give her a hug.

"Okay guys," she said between embraces. "The twins and I are tired…so we're off to get some sleep." This was met by a chorus of 'Awww's, and 'But why?'s, which were promptly ignored, not ceasing the flow of hugs that was now extending to the other girls, who reluctantly agreed and said their goodnights.

"_**I guess I was wrong I just don't belong  
**_

_**But then I've been there before, everything's alright  
**_

_**I'll just say goodnight and I'll show myself to the door  
**_

_**Hey I didn't mean to cause a big scene just wait 'til I finish this glass  
**_

_**Then, sweet little lady I'll head back to the bar (haha) and you can kiss my ass"**_

"Megatron!" bellowed Kayla, highly affronted when 'you can kiss my ass' had been directed right at her. "Get your ass, and what brain cells you have _left_ from all that beer, over here _right now!_"

It seemed that the other females had the same thoughts; Sarah Lennox marched over and dragged Will off to their car, ignoring his numerous shouts of how he needed another drink. Maggie simply glared at Glen, and he followed her without question, simple as that. Blackout and Barricade reappeared after missing nearly the entire party, and towed Bonecrusher back inside before he could cause a scene; Ratchet followed suit, breaking off from his talk with Optimus to grab his mate by the wrists, hoist him up onto his back, and carry him back to the bunkers, leaving the Autobot leader to chuckle quietly in amusement. A friend of Epps' hauled him off as well, shouting words of congratulations back to the one coherent parent: Kayla, who managed to give thanks while simultaneously dragging her husband back into the base, into and up the elevator, down the hall, and into their quarters.

Though they were being slowly separated, the intoxicated singers still screamed the lyrics to one another, trying to stay within earshot for as long as possible.

"_'Cause I got friends in low places,  
_

_Where the Whiskey drowns,  
_

_And the Beer chases my blues away,  
_

_But I'll be okay,  
_

_Now I'm not big on social graces,  
_

_Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,  
_

_Oh I got friends,  
_

_In low places"_

It was painfully obvious now that the party was over; quite sullen by the rain pouring onto their parade, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Bumblebee, and Jazz said their farewells to the party guests, thanked them for their company, and then headed inside with everyone else for a long night of recharge.

Kayla grumbled under her breath as she continued to pull Megatron to the base, harrumphing about how damn _difficult_ this was when pregnant…when that god awful sensation plagued her again. However, this time, she reacted faster, releasing her husband and whirling around.

Mikaela's cousin Monica was standing around fifty feet away in the shadow of one of the many trees surrounding the base, more than likely assuming that the darkness would conceal her. She watched as the other girl's gaze flickered back to Megatron, where it trained on him for over a full minute before returning to Kayla, piercing her, analyzing her.

Shivering with foreboding, she locked eyes with Monica before dragging her husband back inside, and closing the base doors.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, whaddya think? Should I continue this story, or work on my TF: Animated one?

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are gonna be godfathers! YAAY!

The poor, poor Autobots and Decepticons.

I want to make this story a bit more reader-interactive, so send in ideas or suggestions you'd like to see in the story! I'll consider each one sent in, and try to incorporate it into the plot to the best of my abilities.

Yes, this story has a soundtrack! I'll post the link to it in my profile...

Other than that, I've pretty much said all I need to say. Read and review, guys! Read and review!


	2. On Rude Awakenings and Proposals

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! The Transformers are the sole property of Hasbro, and I'm merely a bored person who has nothing better to do with my time…

Note: I decided to bring everyone that died in the movie…BACK TO LIFE. MUHAHAHAHA!

Seriously, the more characters you have the more fun it is. NO FLAMES PLEASE! I'm always open to constructive criticism/beta offers. But being rude is seriously not cool. If you think my fic is THAT bad, then just stop reading it.

This is a sequel to More Than Meets the Eye, therefore, if you're a first-time reader, some things may confuse you a bit. If you do find yourself perplexed, bamboozled, or utterly baffled, simply refer back to the first story and things will clear up quickly for you.

Summary: Megatron and Kayla had it all: a happy marriage, a slew of wonderful friends, and a beautiful family with two new members on the way. But life as they know it will spiral out of control when a mysterious new girl enters the picture…

Author's Note: Yeah…term papers suck, lol. That's all I can say for my excuse on why I haven't updated in a little bit. _(shrug)_ It's nearly the end of the semester! WOOO! And then I'm DONE with school…_FOREVER!_ I'm getting my Master's, and I'm off to start my career!

Anyway, thanks to you who reviewed; I really appreciate the feedback. As I said before, if you'd like to make suggestions, feel more than free! I'll consider every one that is sent in, and try to incorporate it into the story to the best of my ability.

Enjoy the chappie, and don't forget to tell me what you think!

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Previously:

_Shivering with foreboding, she locked eyes with Monica before dragging her husband back inside, and closing the base doors._

* * *

That night had been…interesting to say the least. Just as she'd predicted, Megatron made several suggestive advancements on her as she led him down the darkened hallway to their quarters, implying that there was "more than met the eye" about the quickly hardening bulge in his pants. Tired, swollen, and ready for sleep, Kayla would have none of it; she opened the main doors to their living space and shoved him unceremoniously inside, not even sparing him a passing glance as he toppled into a rather ungraceful heap of tangled limbs on the living room couch.

"Aww…c'mon, Kayla," he pleaded with a half smile, leaning dangerously far over the back of the sofa as he watched her retreating form. "Don't be like that." He stretched his arms outward toward her as she turned around to give him a disgusted look. "Why don'tcha come on back, and we'll-"

"No." His face immediately fell, but she took no heed and continued on to their private quarters. Call her heartless, but she'd had _enough_. "You're drunk, and I'm going to bed…" He waggled his eyebrows at her with a toothy grin, obviously hoping to weasel his way in with her. "_Alone._"

Poor Megatron. If it weren't for the fact that he was highly intoxicated, she might have fallen for his doe-eyed pout. But the heavenly bodies above just didn't seem to be in his favor tonight. "Kayla, please? Please? PLEASE?"

"You can yowl all you want out here, but just don't wake the children or me." She whirled around as he caught her arm and tried to drag her face down for a kiss, shoving him away forcefully when his mouth drew near to hers, the stench of alcohol permeating his breath. "Christ, you reek!"

"Sticks and stones, my darling." He drew her close again, his stupor clouding all sense of logic. "Why won't you sleep with me, honey?"

"Because you're a drunken idiot, I'm tired, and I'm not in the mood for your playing around." She pulled away from him, braced her hands on both his shoulders, and pushed him down into the cushions of the couch. "Now get some rest; the sooner you sleep off this tipsiness, the better." Kayla walked behind the arm of the sofa where his head was resting, and carefully gave him a peck on the forehead, determined to not be caught in his wandering hands once again. "G'night Megs, I'll see you in the morning." After taking several steps, she paused, turned around, and fixed him with the most menacing glare he'd seen from her since the time he'd handcuffed her to their headboard, and fallen asleep before he'd remembered to free her. "And _don't_ call me 'honey'."

Ignoring both her 'goodnight' and her death glare, he instead half-drawled, half-wailed:

"_I've thought of everything from A to Z_

_Oh, lonesome me"_

Kayla huffed indignantly at the sudden racket, her eyes twitching visibly as she walked through the doors of their private quarters, closed them, and turned the lock into place. Meandering over to her armoire, she selected a pair of comfy blue plaid pajama pants, and an oversized black t shirt, changing quickly before any sort of interruption could burst through the double doors. When none came, she was almost worried for her husband's health; by now, he'd normally tried to make at least one attempt at breaking into their bedroom, kicking, punching, and clawing at the door…But the living room was silent, devoid even of the simple scuffling noises of one moving about. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she slowly unlatched the lock, lifted the heavy door handle, and minutely peeked her head outside the safety of the room.

Staring at the back of the sofa, she couldn't make heads or tails of the right end, where his head should have been resting, but she smiled gently when she noticed a set of long legs hanging over the left armrest, shoes still on and all. Soft snoring drifted from behind the cushy backing of the couch, the sound rising and falling with each breath Megatron took. She smiled again.

_Out like a light…Poor guy. He's gonna be sorry when he wakes up tomorrow morning._

Taking pity on her passed out husband, Kayla waddled out entirely from behind the large, carved door, took a blanket from a shelf in the corner, and unfurled it over his sleeping form, the soft fleece drifting down gently before settling silently over his chilly body. He snuggled up to it immediately, unconsciously appreciating the additional warmth bestowed upon him. Then, carefully, so as not to wake him, she bent over as far as she could, picked up his feet, and shoved them backwards, pushing him down the couch so his head laid on the armrest; she removed his shoes gently, placed them beside the couch, and tucked his feet beneath the blanket before they were exposed to the chill for too long. Now completely comfortable and blissfully warm, Megatron rotated onto his side, rolled himself up in his blanket, and drifted off to sleep, his snoring slightly increasing in volume from changing position.

_He sounds like a hobo with a sinus infection._

She grinned to herself as she retreated back to her own bedroom, closed and locked the doors, and slid into bed.

_Jeez…it's kinda big in here without him…_

Kayla stared up at the ceiling, the guilt of temporarily kicking him out beginning to cloud her thoughts.

_Damn. Thanks a lot, Megatron!_

But sleep overtook her more easily than she'd first anticipated, and swept away her remorse, leaving her in a peaceful slumber without a care in the world.

* * *

The next morning, Megatron awoke into the aftermath of the previous night, his hangover blossoming into full swing as sunlight streamed in through the nearby window. His optical nerves felt s though they were on fire, causing him to bury his face back into the dark abyss of his blanket in a desperate attempt to shield his eyes. He groaned when he felt his stomach churn; Primus, these human hangovers were _so_ much worse than Cybertronian ones. Determined to not admit to full incapacitation, the groggy male sat up, and immediately wished that he hadn't when the blanket fell away from his vulnerable eyes and the room began to spin, the colors of his surroundings swirling together to create a nauseating, slightly psychedelic sight. Coupled with the intense searing pain from the daylight, this was easily one of the worst hangovers he'd ever had in his entire-

"Oh Primus-"

Megatron leaped off the couch and bounded into the bathroom, fully succumbing to vertigo as he reached his destination, fell to his knees, and emptied the contents of his stomach into the pristine white porcelain bowl of the toilet. It seemed as though the flow of vomit would never end, but it did eventually, leaving his esophagus in flames and his eyes watering from the disgusting, acrid taste of his own bile. Out in the living room, he heard a knock at the door.

He slowly crawled to the bathroom door, leaned out, and called, "Come in!" before the familiar heaving of his stomach and clenching of his throat summoned him back to the toilet for a second time.

After disposing of what remained in his stomach, Megatron collapsed onto the floor; his head was spinning, his eyes were burning, he was covered in a cold sweat, and his entire body shook like a leaf as he tried to regain his stability. Scratch his previous thought; this _was_ the worst hangover he'd ever had in his life. After spending several minutes curled in a fetal position on the shaggy bathroom rug, he found enough strength to hoist himself to his feet, brace his hands on the cream colored marble counter, and stare at his reflection in the mirror for a moment before he felt a presence join him silently.

Turning to look, he saw the fresh, peppy face of Monica gazing back at him, her wide caramel eyes taking in his appearance. "Oh, Megatron," she placed a well manicured hand on his shoulder. "You look terrible."

Megatron twitched at the sudden contact. "Gee, thanks."

Truth be told, Monica was right; his normally golden-brown skin was a sickly ash color, his red-brown eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and he still wore clothes from the previous evening, a disheveled and rumpled mess. His hair looked at though a hurricane had run through it, as opposed to a brush, his blank, haggard face staring expressionlessly back at him from the mirror.

"I suppose I've looked better," he admitted quietly, reaching for his hairbrush to fix his appearance. "And spending the night out on the couch didn't exactly help things, either."

At this, his company looked shocked. "The couch?!" Monica took the brush from his hand, ran it through his hair several times, and then guided him out of the bathroom and into the dining room. "You poor, poor thing! Why would your wife do something so terrible?!"

"Because I was drunk." He gazed forlornly at the locked doors of their private chambers. "And Kayla didn't want my advances; she needs sleep, and I can guarantee that she wouldn't have had any if I'd slept in bed with her."

"I don't doubt that."

Megatron froze. "What was that?"

_Shit! Shit! Think of something, fast!_

"I was wondering, er…uh…" her gaze whipped frantically over her surroundings, looking for something, _anything_, that could be used as an excuse. "Er…um…" her eyes fell upon a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. "I was wondering if you wanted me to make you some breakfast?" she finished lamely, casting her gaze away from his expectant face.

For some reason, he still wasn't convinced; even hung over, the ex-Decepticon knew that something was awry with her story, her hesitance being a strong indicator of something foul. He shook his head in a weak attempt to clear his thoughts. "Why are you even here at this hour?"

_To catch you alone._

"To check up on Kayla to see how she was feeling after the party last night," she breezed. Megatron quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "I mean, she left feeling rather exhausted, if you remember."

"I can't say that I do." The jab at his tipsiness from the previous night did not go unnoticed, and only served to put him in a worse mood than before. His stomach chose the most inopportune moment to announce its needs, and grumbled loudly before he could continue, gurgling with an intense craving for food. "But breakfast _does_ sound good right about now."

_Well, it's a start…_

"Then what're we waiting for?" Monica sat him down in one of the plush, luxurious dining chairs, and headed off to the kitchen. "Let's get crackin'!"

* * *

Morning came sooner than she could have imagined.

Slowly opening her eyes, Kayla's pupils narrowed to tiny slits as sunlight poured into the room, adjusting to the change in brightness within moments. Half-consciously, she patted the bed beside herself…only to find it unoccupied, devoid of the second form usually there.

_Oh yeah, that's right. I banished him to the couch last night._

Fully sitting up in bed, the tired young woman yawned hugely and stretched, releasing a contented sigh when her back popped like a chain of firecrackers, immediately reducing the amount of tension acquired from sleeping so soundly on her back all night long. Glancing around the room, her eyes immediately landed on her wedding portrait with Megatron: easily five feet tall and three and a half feet wide, it was huge, taking up a good portion of a wall in the small alcove that served as their private sitting room. Both the bride and groom looked radiant, glowing smiles gracing their overjoyed faces as they held hands beneath a giant willow tree.

She couldn't help but grin in return; it seemed like only yesterday they were married…A wistful sigh passed her lips as she observed the rest of the photographs around the room, mainly of her children. Six children, soon to be eight! And they'd all grown up so quickly…

Optimus, her eldest child, was already studying philosophy with his namesake, Optimus Prime at age six; his vocabulary was superb from all the time spent with his mentor, and he was already displaying several prominent qualities of an excellent scholar.

Ratchet was the second eldest at five years old…and practically a child prodigy. He could play the piano sufficiently well, and was quickly learning to read; being the godson of a medic, naturally, he'd been instilled with various anatomy facts, even able to name almost every bone in the human body.

At four years old, Ironhide was third in line. Always one for early experience, Ironhide Senior was educating his pupil in the art of strategy, often creating full-scale wars with his endless tubs of green plastic army men, while frequently absorbing some of the Cybertronian's colorful curses as they worked, much to the displeasure of his mother.

Jazz, at three years old, was already fascinated by music, and able to distinguish several different genres from each other. Having the guide that he did, Little Jazz was exposed to a wide variety of different tunes, save for that with explicit lyrics, and often seemed happiest when classical, freeform jazz, or classic rock were playing.

Bee was the second youngest at two years old…yet he still managed to wreak havoc whenever his mother's back was turned. She supposed that he inherited the gene from her; either that, or Megatron had quite a history as a sparkling. Truth be told, Kayla didn't know for sure, her husband's vague descriptions of childhood on Cybertron often acting as a silent hint to not pry any further.

And finally, the youngest child: Jack. He was still getting the basic concepts of life down, but was already proving himself similar to his godfather when he accidentally spilled a bottle of cooking oil all over the floor, sending mechs and men alike crashing to the floor. Perhaps he'd learn to harness this…unique trait when he grew older.

Her reverie was suddenly interrupted by the twins, wiggling and squirming inside her womb in an effort to make their presence known as well.

Kayla smiled at her swollen abdomen. "Don't think I've forgotten about you two." She stroked the spot above the twins, grinning as she thought of the Lamborghini twins. "You're going to be quite a handful, aren't you? Especially with the godfathers you're going to have-"

_Grrrraaaauuuggg._

"Hmm…" she swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood up carefully, and stretched again before her stomach growled once more. "I think it's time for breakfast," she placed both hands on her belly. "Don't you think so, too?" The twins wiggled vigorously in response, almost a silent affirmation to her question.

Without another though, Kayla dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of faded, washed-out maternity jeans and a red flowy peasant top before unceremoniously raking her fingers through her wild bedhead.

"Who cares?" she asked no one in particular, examining her French-tipped toenails absentmindedly. "Man…Meg's is getting good at that."

As she ambled out of her private quarters and down the hallway, her mind began to drift; this entire thing began when she was pregnant with Ratchet, and one day, complained that she couldn't even do her nails if she wanted to, which was almost never…normally, Kayla wouldn't have cared less, but that particular day it just happened to be one more thing to complain about during her hormone-induced agitation, constantly seeking a new fuel for the fire. Megatron, not one to enjoy seeing his pregnant wife upset, offered to do them for her, either not knowing of or choosing to ignore the 'blow to his masculinity' as Will had put it. Surprisingly enough, he'd done a pretty decent job, and was getting better every time his wife requested a pedicure; over the past several weeks, he became confident enough in his abilities to try French tips, and also did well in that area as well.

Mikaela, Maggie, and Sarah were all jealous; a husband that did _pedicures?_ It was like a gift from above…and it got even better when he offered to do their nails as well. So needless to say, that just chalked up one more reason for the ex-Decepticon leader to be considered a girl-magnet.

Something Kayla was still wary of.

Yes…while it was nice to have sweet, loving, caring husband that happens to be handsome, it can cause a bit of tension sometimes. Despite the white gold band on his left ring finger, females still swarmed to him; thankfully, Megatron was oblivious to most of their advances, and those he recognized, he immediately warded off. Still, even knowing that her husband would never do such a thing, she couldn't help but become jealous and protective; she was seven months pregnant, a far cry from the tiny jeans she used to be able to slide into, and couldn't help but sneer at the pretty, mostly unwitting girls that vied for her husband's affections. Kayla knew that he'd never-

_Hold on a second. What…the…_fuck_?_

Grateful that she hadn't fully emerged from the hallway, she pulled back into the shadow it provided, staring into the dining room in disbelief. It felt as though someone had slapped her across the face, her pulse racing and the vein in her right temple throbbing. Kayla felt a cold, familiar feeling sliding over her, weighing her down like a lead vest as her eyes narrowed, and hands clenched to fists at her sides. Jealousy.

Because sitting at the table with her arm around Megatron, was Monica.

* * *

Too busy with the consumption of his breakfast, Monica was the last thing currently on his mind right now. The salty crunch of the done-just-right bacon, the fresh taste of rye toast, and the pleasant tang of his orange juice kept him occupied enough as it was; taste, something he hadn't really possessed in Cybertronian form, was amazing. All the different flavors, textures, consistencies…the array to choose from was dizzying, and he couldn't figure our where to begin first. His face scrunched up unconsciously after taking a particularly tart swig of juice, relaxing after he'd had a few more bites of toast.

"So…" his guest sauntered up to him, leaning in much too closely for his liking. "How d'you like it?"

Megatron choked on the corner of his crispy toast, the coarse, unchewed texture scraping down his esophagus like a bad case of road rash. "It's good," he managed, hacking and coughing to dislodge the irritating point of the corner of the bread, which had decided to wedge itself halfway down his throat.

"Megatron!" Her high-pitched squeal hurt his ears almost as much as his throat, and her feeble attempts at patting his back in aid were doing nothing but causing more of a distraction.

Without warning, her useless pattering ceased, and he received a firm, semi-painful, slap to the back, the force of the blow pushing the toast out of his throat, and back up into his mouth; Monica squealed again, this time in indignity as he ran to the kitchen to spit the food out into the trash can.

"What is your _problem?" _She glared at Kayla, her eyes glittering with sparkly eye shadow and suppressed anger. "Why'd you hurt your husband like that?"

"I didn't _hurt _him. I _helped_ him, you moron." Mrs. Megatron herself stepped up to the unwanted guest. "You think this," she imitated the girl's previous behavior, pawing weakly at her back with exaggerated wide eyes. "Is honestly going to help a choking person?" She snorted in disgust, taking in Monica's smaller-than-small skirt that put a micro-mini to shame. "I swear, you act almost as retarded as you look."

"Kayla!" The woman in question jumped as a set of well built arms wound around her shoulders, their force drawing her closer to their owner. "That's no way to speak to a guest!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Kayla broke away from Megatron's grasp, giving him a look that clearly said 'argue with me and you're dead'. "If Little-Miss-Mini-Skirt over here had half a brain and an IQ bigger than her shoe size, she'd know that a couple little pats wouldn't have helped you! You would've choked to death at the hands of a hussy!"

"At least my hands are _manicured!_" screeched the guest indignantly, waving her hand in Kayla's face as if to prove her point.

The pregnant woman glared, her normally pretty features twisting into a hideous mask of hatred. "You wanna keep that hand, bitch? 'Cause if you get your claws in my face _one more time_, I'll fuckin' bite 'em off!"

Megatron leveled his gaze with Kayla's…definitely a sign that things were about to get ugly, and that this catfight was at an official end. "Monica," he clipped, his voice short and sharp. "If you'll excuse us for a moment…" Without another word, he dragged his wife back into their personal chambers where they could talk in private. As soon as the heavy carved door had been barred with the lock, he rounded on her like a wild animal. "What the slag is _wrong_ with you, Kayla?" The emotion in his gaze switched from anger to worry, his voice softening as he grasped her shoulders. "You're normally _never_ rude to our visitors."

"Did you _see_ the way she was hanging all over you?!" Megatron backed away from his wife in surprise; since when was she this aggressive? Well…before they'd begun to really like each other. But still, something about her behavior wasn't right.

It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. She was being protective! "Kayla…" he placed both hands on her shoulders, kneading the tired flesh with his skillful fingers. "Are you jealous?"

"No," she lied automatically, biting her lip and turning her gaze in a different direction. "No, I'm not jealous."

_Shit. How the hell am I gonna dig myself out of _this _one?_

Megatron narrowed his eyes, the normal warmth they provided wavering for a moment. He could still feel it…the uneasiness was practically breathing down his neck. But Kayla would never lie to him; surely she'd tell him if she were jealous.

_It might just be hormones, or something of the nature. She always acts a bit off when she's pregnant._

At that thought, he froze. His wife had been pregnant for around three quarters of their marriage…maybe she didn't feel desirable any longer? Or maybe she just needed some _attention._

_No…it's not good for her back to be active so far along in her pregnancy, especially now that she's carrying twins. Still, there must be _something _I can do for her._

Without another word, Megatron dipped his head downward, placed his hand behind her head, and brought their lips together in a soft, warm kiss. She seemed surprised at the advancement, but made no move to stop him when he drew them together for a second time, snaking his tongue past her lips to meet her own. Slowly, carefully, he drew them downward onto their bed, his work-worn hands traveling down her arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake…

All while completely unaware of the spectator in the hallway, watching intently through the keyhole.

* * *

"Weeeeeee!" squealed Little Optimus, laughing joyously as his godfather caught him gently in his much larger hand. "Again, Uncle Optimus! Again!"

Big Optimus smiled in amusement as he gently flicked his wrist, and the child bounced up from his hand once again, screaming in delight before landing solidly back in his palm again.

Nearby, the other Autobots could be seen playing with their godchildren as well, some in mech form, others utilizing their holoforms.

Big Ratchet was one such mech, his human self crouching over a game of Operation with Little Ratchet, who was watching with great intensity as his godfather wielded the tiny pair of tweezers with such skill that he-

_Bzzzzzzzt._

"My turn, Uncle Ratchet!" crowed his protégé gleefully, taking the tiny implement from his hand and pulling out the Bread Basket piece he'd been going after without so much as a second of hesitation, sans the obnoxious buzzing noise.

The medic stared at his charge for several moments. "Slag!"

"Slag! Slag! Slag! Slag! Slag!" repeated Little Bee, who was sitting in a small swing hanging from a tree about thirty feet away, his mentor pushing him back and forth until his heart's content.

Bumblebee would've yelped out if he could, but Big Ratchet still hadn't finished _all _the work on his vocal processors yet, which was excruciatingly frustrating. He settled for an anguished moan, his eyes pleading with the child to stop this little game.

But Little Bee seemed to find his godfather's distress quite amusing, because he laughed, grabbed Bumblebee's nose, and chirped out, "Slag! Slag! Slag!"

_What will his parents _do _to me?_

Not far away, a mini battle was waging as Big Ironhide and Little Ironhide fiddled with his army men in the grass, placing some behind rocks, and even on some carefully made scaffolding constructed entirely from toothpicks.

"Now wait a minute, little guy," said Big Ironhide, placing a hand on his godson's shoulder. "Ya see that one behind that weed over there?" His pupil nodded in silent acknowledgement, his eyes fixed on the plastic toy. "Remember what he's called?"

"Sniper" said Little Ironhide confidently, looking up at the older man in anticipation.

Ironhide felt himself smile; he was actually making progress…and it felt so good. "Right," he congratulated the child, ruffling his hair before asking, "Now…what are we gonna do with that sucker?"

"BOOM!" Little Ironhide backhanded the figure, sending it soaring across the yard before landing on the doorstep, a perfect shot.

Big Ironhide grinned as he scooped up his charge. "Very good."

Underneath the shade of a large willow tree, Little Jazz sat in his mentor, Jazz Daddy's palm, quietly listening to a song the mech was playing softly from his stereo system, smiling as his student absorbed all this new information.

As the last notes of the music died away, he lifted his godson to optic level, and asked, "What song was that?" When Little Jazz didn't immediately reply, he added, "C'mon now, little man. You've heard this one before…" Still, no answer came. "It's by our main man, Hendrix."

Finally, after several more moments of concentration, he cried out, "Foxy Lady!"

"Sweet! Good job my-" Jazz looked down, only to see his godson yawning, stretching a bit. The poor kid was worn out…

As if to affirm his suspicion, Little Jazz looked up, his enormous blue-green eyes locking onto his mentor's, and informed him sleepily, "Tired, Jazz Daddy."

_I thought so._

"That's cool, kiddo." Jazz rose to his feet with his godson in hand, curling his fingers protectively around him. "It's time you went inside for a nap, anyway." Almost instantaneously, the urge to recharge came over him as well, probably induced from watching the sleepy child. "Heh…maybe your Jazz Daddy could use a nap, too." With that said, he carefully rose to his feet, and bade goodbye to the other mechs and children, most of whom were still enjoying the beautiful summer morning.

"G'night Jazz!" called Wheeljack cheerfully, waving to the mech and sleepy child as they headed inside. His attention turned back to his charge, who was gleefully prancing about the yard, his careful steps almost humorous. "C'mere, you!" Little Jack squealed happily, running back to his godfather's outstretched arms, giggling as he received a sound kiss on the forehead from the inventor.

"You _really_ do have a way with kids, 'Jack."

Wheeljack jumped, nearly sending Little Jack flying; behind him stood his mate -- er, _girlfriend_ – Becka, who wore a sly grin on her face, clearly satisfied that she'd managed to startle him. Tendrils of her light brown hair floated in the gentle breeze and she was bathed in soft sunlight, her appearance almost angelic in the warm rays.

"Becka," he breathed, clutching the hand that wasn't currently holding his godson to his chest. "You scared the slag outta me!"

She laughed, and he felt his holoform's heart sputter as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, leaning down to kiss the top of Little Jack's head as well. "I try."

She extended her arms toward him, silently asking to hold the baby; Wheeljack handed over the wriggling child, a smile playing at his lips as he watched her toss him into the air, catching him solidly before bouncing him up and down, much to his delight. After several minutes of fun, he rested his head on her chest, quietly watching the two adults as they talked.

"Isn't he amazing?" he inquired as he gestured to the child in her arms. "I wish I could have one of my own…" His gaze immediately shifted to Becka. "You'd make a wonderful mother."

"Me?" He nodded his head. "Oh…I don't know," she sighed, turning to meet her boyfriend's eyes. "It's a little soon to be thinking about children, isn't it?" She paused, waiting for him to agree with her. But when no response came, she ventured, "I mean, we're not married. Hell, you're not even human…"

The silence that followed was so intimidating she could feel herself shake, and not from the effort of holding Little Jack, either; Becka mentally swore, wishing she'd just bitten her tongue and let the subject drop.

_Why? _Why _did I have to go and open my mouth?_ She mourned silently. _I hope he's not too pissed-_

"But what if I were?"

This time, it was her turn to jolt…but Wheeljack didn't laugh. He looked completely serious, nervous even. She steadied the child in her arms, steeled herself mentally, and turned to face him entirely.

"What?"

"Becka, I've been thinking about this for a long time, since after Jazz was born…" he took her one free hand in his, his light blue eyes locking onto her own brown ones. "What if I _were_ to be human?"

She nearly dropped the child in surprise. Wheeljack _human?_ True, they'd discussed that for a long while…but for him to actually go through with such a risky procedure? He _did_ perform dangerous experiments in his lab on a daily basis, but this operation had only been performed once before, and things could still go wrong. Was he really willing to risk his life to be with her?

"I've considered the benefits and the consequences," he cupped her cheek with his hand, preventing her gaze from wandering anywhere away from his. "And in my opinion, the advantages _far_ outweigh the disadvantages."

She felt her heart speed up in realization. _He's actually going to go through with this…_

"But Wheeljack," she interjected, her brow creasing in worry. "Aren't you afraid of-"

"All I know is that I want for us what Megatron wanted for himself and Kayla: A lifelong partner, a mate, a family…" his eyes dampened as he fell to his knee. "Becka, I think five years as your boyfriend is enough." He took the child from her arms, set him on the ground, and directed him to go to his Uncle Ratchet. Once assured that his godson was safe, he turned back to Becka, her hands quaking with anticipation; he looked up into her eyes, and she nearly burst into tears when she saw the pure friendship, loyalty, and love that glistened within them. He prepared himself one last time, and the words he'd researched on the internet passed through his lips.

"Becka, will you marry me?"

* * *

Monica harrumphed in frustration as she watched Megatron pull Kayla down onto their bed, clearly not planning to return 'in a moment' like he'd promised. She felt anger bubble up as she observed the way his skillful hands danced up and down her swollen frame, making her moan and expose her neck to him; he kissed it without hesitation, nipping lightly down the curve, and enjoying the breathy sighs he elicited from her.

_It's not fair. _She thought bitterly, turning from the keyhole and stomping into the living room. _I'm _way_ prettier than she is; what does he see in that cow that he doesn't see in me?! _She flopped down onto the loveseat, a dramatic sigh passing her lips. _God, it's such a waste that he married such a bitch. If _I _were his wife, I'd treat him with _much _more respect._

Suddenly, an idea wormed its way into her brain. An ingenious plan that would be the first blow to the wall of their marriage that would eventually bring the whole thing crashing down.

_They always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…_ she thought slowly, shifting her eyes to the bedroom door once more.

_It might just be his weakness, too._

* * *

Author's Note: Wow…that chapter took me FOREVER to write. Writer's block coupled with five term papers, presentations, MORE writer's block, and a lot of personal issues have kept me from posting in so long. But fear not, my loyal readers…this won't happen again! School's nearly done, and after that, I'll be able to post _much_ more regularly.

Let me know what you think, guys! Suggestions always welcome!

Read and review!


	3. On the Beginning of Chaos

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! The Transformers are the sole property of Hasbro, and I'm merely a bored person who has nothing better to do with my time…

Note: I decided to bring everyone that died in the movie…BACK TO LIFE. MUHAHAHAHA!

Seriously, the more characters you have the more fun it is. NO FLAMES PLEASE! I'm always open to constructive criticism/beta offers. But being rude is seriously not cool. If you think my fic is THAT bad, then just stop reading it.

This is a sequel to More Than Meets the Eye, therefore, if you're a first-time reader, some things may confuse you a bit. If you do find yourself perplexed, bamboozled, or utterly baffled, simply refer back to the first story and things will clear up quickly for you.

Summary: Megatron and Kayla had it all: a happy marriage, wonderful friends, and a beautiful family with two new members on the way. But life begins to spiral out of control when a mysterious new girl enters the picture...

Author's Note: No…I haven't died, lol. I've been moving from one apartment to another, and trying my hand at another story to see what would happen. But no more of that; I'm back, and I'm continuing the story like a good authoress! With that being said, on with the chappie!

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Previously:

_They always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…_ she thought slowly, shifting her eyes to the bedroom door once more.

_It might just be his weakness, too._

* * *

The sky was clear, the sun shone brightly, and not a breath of wind in the air; the weather outside was just too perfect, too wonderful to stay indoors. So, after packing a rather large basket of sandwiches and drinks, the Autobots, the Decepticons, and the Griffins made their way outside the base, Sam, Mikaela, and Monica hitching a ride with Bumblebee, and on their way to the lake. Once there, they'd meet up with the Witwickies and the Lennoxes for some beer and barbeque, which no one –except the expectant mother—could really refuse.

It was a tight squeeze, but all three teens managed to cram themselves into Bumblebee's interior, much to his discomfort; Sam sat in the passenger seat with Mikaela on his lap, and Monica had the honor of sitting in the driver's seat by herself. Turning her head with a swish of unnaturally blond hair, she observed her cousin and her boyfriend begin to kiss, her pale face flushing hot with uncomfortable emotions.

_What do I care? He's a nerd anyway…_

Her attention drifted back to earlier this morning; apparently 'soon' meant much longer than five or ten minutes, because after an intense, steamy hour locked in his bedroom with his blimp of a wife, Megatron had emerged sweaty, disheveled, and completely at a loss for words, something very uncharacteristic from his normal debonair personality.

_Like that cow could be any good in the sack. Honestly, what does she have that makes him so crazy?_

He'd explained that Kayla had been feeling a bit depressed because of her constant pregnancies, and needed a bit of reassurance; he'd probably been telling the truth, but that didn't pacify Monica in the least. Just the mere thought of that undeserving bitch's hands running through his dark, wild hair…the crooked grin that he only ever seemed to flash in her direction…those masculine lips touching her own seemingly plain ones. It made her crazy, it made her furious, and most of all, it made her jealous. Granted, jealousy wasn't something she commonly experienced; unlike her grease-monkey cousin, her family had money, a lot of it. And with her naturally good looks, she'd never really been denied guy-wise. Hell, she'd snagged a married man before, but she could tell immediately that Megatron would be a rather tough nut to crack.

_A tough nut, but a nut to be savored once cracked._

She'd heard the stories of how he found Kayla alone in the forest, of the hatred they once shared in the early days of their relationship; how he turned human for her, and how they'd named all their children after members of his once-rival faction: the Autobots. To a point, it disgusted her a bit, how fairy-tale perfect their marriage was…

_But nothing lasts forever._

Some called her a sadist –Did emotional pain count?—for getting enjoyment out of ripping apart relationships like tissue paper, but honestly, she couldn't care less. Since when did she _ever_ care what people thought of her? Well…what the _girls _thought of her, at least. As far as she could tell, Kayla was just another pregnant wife who was insecure about her looks, which weren't even that good, in her own personal opinion; she might've had a decent chance, if it weren't for the long, jagged scar slashing across her face like a claw-mark. Moncia could safely admit that her tan was nice, and that her highlighted hair hadn't been achieved in a salon, two areas where she herself wasn't flawless, but other than that, she was exceedingly boring.

In a way, she could see how _dorky_ guys might find her attractive, with her short height, boundless energy, and obnoxious –in her opinion— slightly raunchy sense of humor. Oh, but never around the children! Her saintly view of her children and their "innocence" sickened her more than anything else.

_Why doesn't she just go back to her storybook where she belongs?_

But her reverie came to a screeching halt, so to speak, when Bumblebee skidded to a stop in the narrow road beside Tranquility Lake, opening his doors for the passengers to climb out. Still giggling to themselves, Sam and Mikaela extricated themselves from one another before stumbling out onto the hot pavement, already stripping their shirts off their backs as they headed for the glassy water. Sighing to herself, Monica slid out of the driver's seat and headed off toward the shady spot under a large tree where the three families were congregating, some dumping the charcoal into the city-provided 

barbeque while others set up the large picnic table. Smirking to herself, she double-checked her purse to ensure that her 'secret weapon' was still in place, and with a grin on her face, swaggered over to their gathering place.

_Let's just see how 'happy' their 'ever after' really is._

* * *

"Okay kids, listen up. Optimus , Ratchet, you two can go in the water if you want-"

"YAAY!"

"But you _have_ to wear your water wings. Neither of you are really strong swimmers yet."

"AWW! C'mon, Mom!"

The pregnant woman stood firm, her hands plastered to her hips, and her eyes narrowed into a taught glare, immediately ceasing her sons' whining. Raising one eyebrow at her boys, they quickly took the hint , pulled their inflatable plastic water wings over their upper arms, and took off squealing toward the water. With an amused chuckle, she turned her gaze back to her younger boys, who were all looking up at her expectantly.

"Yes…you too. Jazz, Bee, Jack, you're coming with me."

The three children burst into elated giggles as their mother scooped them up, called over to their Daddy that they were headed into the lake, and began to march toward the water, feet squishing deeper and deeper into the wet earth with every step she took. At last, when her feet hit the water, Kayla released a relieved sigh; the cool lake felt even better than it looked as it slid across her sweaty skin, lapping gently against her body as she walked further into the water.

"Here we go, boys!"

Finding some firm ground, she stood with the water up to her breast and dug her toes into the lake bed, cradling her three sons close as they gleefully splashed in the water, enjoying the relief from the insistent heat. With wet hands, Little Jazz reached behind her head, grabbed the rubber band that held her hair away from the water, and pulled it out with a grin, laughing contentedly when she gasped in surprise.

"Get her wet!" he shrieked, splashing small handfuls of water onto her dry hair.

Jack and Bee eagerly joined in, also splashing their mother in an attempt to get her hair soaked. Seeing that she was clearly outnumbered, she started calling out to the spectators on dry land.

" I'm being attacked!" she pretended to cry out. "Somebody, save me!"

It was then that Megatron decided to join in. Kicking off his flip-flops, he flung his shirt off his back –much to the delight of the females present— and tore off full speed toward the lake, slicing through the cool water like a knife until he emerged with a splash beside his wife.

Shaking his hair, to purposely flick water at his sons, he grabbed Jazz in a flash and flung him up in the air, catching him softly when he fell back down.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, ruffling his son's hair as he hugged his father. "Ready to go splash your mother?"

"I don't think so!" came the gleeful response. Kayla was grinning at him with a son in each arm, and stood about ten feet away, where she could maintain her erect posture. "It's three on two!"

From the shore, the Autobots, Decepticons, Lennoxes, and Witwickies watched the ongoing battle raging in the lake; it didn't really seem that anyone was winning, but everyone was having a good time as they kicked and splashed, yelling and screaming. Optimus and Ironhide quickly caught wind of what was happening and rushed over to join the fight, Optimus joining his mother and Ironhide joining his father. No one could be certain who was fighting who through the constant spray of water being kicked up, but from the sound of the splash war, it seemed like it was a pretty fun family activity. Finally after ten minutes or so, Megatron and Jazz surrendered, and the onshore audience cheered as they tromped through the water and back up onto the shore; Megatron set Little Jazz on his feet with Bee, who frolicked happily in the water for several minutes before following their parents completely onto dry land.

Toweling off their small children, the two parents smiled at one another, leaned over their children's heads, and gave each other a quick peck on the lips before vigorously toweling themselves off. Finally, after instructing them to be careful, they released their kids to go play; screaming with excitement, they joined the Lennox children in a game of hide-and-seek, leaving Megatron and Kayla to accompany their friends. Laughing to themselves, the adults watched as Sam and Mikaela followed the children, acting as temporary guardians while they played.

"You two have quite the brood, there," admired Ron, obviously counting up all the Griffin children. "And two more on the way…"

"Yes," Kayla agreed. "They can be quite a handful sometimes-"

"But the twins will be our last," Megatron cut in. "We've agreed that eight is more than enough."

Across the table, Will spit out his mouthful of beer and laughed. "_Eight?_ Man, and I thought I had it bad with two girls…"

"I know Annabelle just turned six, like my oldest," mused Megatron. "But how old is Claire?"

"Turned three two months ago."

"Three? Primus, time moves so quickly…"

"What are the twins again?" Glen shook his head a few times in an effort to remember. "I don't remember too much from that party…"

Maggie sniffed upon thinking of her boyfriend's drunken stupor. "I should expect not."

Laughing at her joke, Kayla explained, "They're both boys, which'll give us eight sons."

An impressed whistle went up around the table; _eight_ children was quite a feat, but for them to all be males…the amount of testosterone that would be circulating throughout the Griffin home would be dizzying.

Ron clapped Megatron on the shoulder. "What an accomplishment, man. Good luck with that!" With a wistful sigh, he murmured, "Wish I could've had one or two more, myself."

Next to him on the bench, his wife snorted indignantly. "You could barely handle Sam! I couldn't imagine having more than one son…"

From her seat off to the side, Monica saw this moment as the perfect chance to jump into the conversation.

"I know! I mean, you'd totally lose your figure after eight kids; I could never do that to myself!"

However, instead of laughing at her little 'joke', a resounding silence passed over the group, icy stares boring into her like little knives.

Kayla, on the other hand, wasn't sure if she wanted to burst out laughing, or stab her with her plastic fork. "Uh…thanks?"

She exchanged a mildly amused glance with husband, who added, "Actually, she's pretty good about exercise, so a pre-baby body is a possibility…"

Megatron turned an adoring stare toward Kayla, who grinned back at him over the table.

_Ugh…it's so disgusting._

Using their moment of distraction, Monica pulled a chalky white pill from her bag, dropped it in Megatron's drink, and went off to join Sam and Mikaela while she waited for just the right moment to continue on…

* * *

_Something's not right here…not right at all._

The gathering continued on, blasting through hours like minutes, when Megatron began to feel odd; he assumed he'd had a bit too much to drink, as did Kayla, who began loading up the boys and their things before setting off to get them into bed on time.

"Don't stay out too late," she chided with a small smile, pressing a chaste kiss on his lips and cheek. "I'll wait up for you, hon."

"M'kay." He returned the kisses with an intoxicated clumsiness, waving to her wearily as she shooed the boys over to Ratchet's and Ironhide's alt modes. "See ya soon, babe."

After piling all their children into the two awaiting vehicles, she blew him one last kiss, and then hopped in Ratchet's driver's seat, waving goodbye to the company as he pulled down the gravelly road, and onto the nearest main street.

As the two trucks disappeared down the road, talk resumed once more, shifting between couples as they discussed relationships. Playful banter ensued, and it seemed as though it was males versus females in their verbal sparring match.

"I mean, come _on_," emphasized Sarah, gesturing to the group of girls. "We suffer for nine months, and you get to sit back and do nothing! Men have it so easy!"

"Yeah?" retaliated Glen, quirking an eyebrow in mock interest. "You don't have your reproductive organs, the things that let you _make_ those precious babies, hanging between your legs! We're so vulnerable."

"Oh, please. You wouldn't possibly last…"

Megatron's thoughts drifted as the bickering continued on without him, leaving him lost in his own little world. Suddenly, nothing seemed to matter anymore; he was happy…blissfully happy, without a care in the world. Behind him, he could feel two hands massaging his back, their owner purring sweet nothings into his ear.

"How about a walk?" the voice whispered, the phantom hands luring him from his seat. "Just the two of us…"

He whirled around –it felt more like slow-motion to him– to see Monica grinning at him like a Cheshire cat, beckoning him to follow her. Under normal circumstances, he would've pushed her off, and politely told her to cram her sweet-talk up her ass; for some reason, however, he leered back at her, and agreed without a fuss, leaving the party behind, and ultimately, beginning what was going to be the worst drama he'd faced in years.

_And now,_ thought Monica as she pulled him away toward the woods. _I put my plan into action._

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the _ridiculous_ time it took me to update, everybody. I've just had a total lack of inspiration lately, and have been trying to get my creative juices flowing again…However, after a few good movies and some late-night conversations, I think I'm raring to get going again.

Let me know what you think! Read and review!


	4. On Infidelity and Keeping Secrets

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! The Transformers are the sole property of Hasbro, and I'm merely a bored person who has nothing better to do with my time…

Note: I decided to bring everyone that died in the movie…BACK TO LIFE. MUHAHAHAHA!

Seriously, the more characters you have the more fun it is. NO FLAMES PLEASE! I'm always open to constructive criticism/beta offers. But being rude is seriously not cool. If you think my fic is THAT bad, then just stop reading it.

This is a sequel to More Than Meets the Eye, therefore, if you're a first-time reader, some things may confuse you a bit. If you do find yourself perplexed, bamboozled, or utterly baffled, simply refer back to the first story and things will clear up quickly for you.

Summary: Megatron and Kayla had it all: a happy marriage, wonderful friends, and a beautiful family with two new members on the way. But life begins to spiral out of control when a mysterious new girl enters the picture...

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Previously:

"_And now,_ thought Monica as she pulled him away toward the woods. _I put my plan into action."_

* * *

Kayla was worried.

No…scratch that. Kayla was worried, infuriated, and anxious; her stupid husband had been out drinking for _hours_, and as angry as she was that he was so late, she couldn't help but wonder what was happening back at the lake. Since her departure, the children had long been bathed, fed, and tucked into bed, leaving her to sit alone in the empty base and wait…not to say that a bit of quiet was a bad thing –quite rare, in fact– but it was a tad unnerving.

_Maybe I'm fretting too much,_ she pondered as she pulled the heavy curtains away from the window for the twelfth time.

_Probably am. I'm sure Megatron's fine…_

She pressed her fingertips against the floor-to-ceiling window, resting her forehead on the cool glass as she thought_. _Despite the refreshing chill flooding through her, she couldn't help but feel the ominous sensation of possible wrong-doing afoot wrap itself around her, like some kind of sinister cloak; something wasn't right, but she wasn't sure if it was simply the hormones wreaking havoc on her logic, or if something really w_as_ amiss.

_Maybe a nice bath will clear things up._

Rubbing her temples in a circular motion, she headed toward the master bathroom, trying to concentrate on more pleasant things during the walk there; she paused for several moments halfway, clutching her swollen abdomen with both hands as a wave of fatigue washed over her. It seemed like everything was a journey these days, being so hugely pregnant…and she felt incredibly weak thinking about it. But as she felt the twins move inside her, the ill feelings disappeared instantaneously; it wouldn't be much longer before she held her last babies in her arms, before she saw their beautiful little faces for the first time.

She grinned to herself as she waddled her way across the room. _We've sure made some beautiful babies…Megatron's been one hell of a stud._

The twins wiggled a bit harder in her womb, startling her enough to make her lean against the bathroom doorframe for a couple seconds before she recovered, smiling wearily as she pushed herself upright, and waddled completely into the room. With a small _click_, the lights flicked on all around her, causing her pupils to retract from the sudden change of atmosphere; the promise of relaxation close at hand, she wriggled out of her clothing as quickly as possible, tied up her hair in a messy ponytail on top of her head, and donned a terry bathrobe after starting the water in the tub. Once the temperature was to her liking, she turned off the faucets, started the jets, and peeled off the robe before immersing herself into the bubbling water. Immediate serenity slipped over her like a cozy blanket, her doubts disappearing amongst the fragrant bubble-bath before she could dwell on them.

Kayla felt her back untwist, her mood unbend, and the twins come to a peaceful lull within her womb…the gurgling water doubling as a soothing lullaby. Releasing a heavy sigh, she fully relaxed in the bathtub, her head tipping back to rest in one of the pillowed indentations as she wearily closed her eyes.

_Mmm…yes. This is _just_ what I needed…_

* * *

Several hours after feeling oddly drowsy, Megatron slowly awoke in a confused haze, his eyes bleary and his mind reeling as he scooted backwards away from a slick object in front of him.

_What happened…?_

It felt like someone had thoroughly clubbed him over the head, his memories fading in and out of focus –so close to clarity—before receding back into the depths of his head, never to see the light of day again. After several attempts to sit upright, he gave up, and simply rolled out of bed, letting out a startled squawk when his naked body hit the hard floor.

_I'm naked? Wait a second…_

He lifted up the covers that he'd managed to drag with him over the edge of the bed, double checking just in case his blurry vision had deceived him.

_Oh…slag._

He was –indeed—nude, no part of his sculpted body left sacred to any prying eye that should happen to come upon him. He instinctively covered himself with the sheet in an attempt to diminish the feeling of overwhelming vulnerability assaulting him; noticing that the early makings of dawn were peeking into the nearby window, his cheeks immediately burned in shame. Kayla had been waiting for him all night…and she'd be pissed when he finally-

_Oh, Primus. Oh, sweet mother of FRAGGING Primus!_

He managed to draw in several ragged breaths as his widened eyes landed on the bed he'd just rolled from…and observed the figure, the sweaty object, that had been lying against him.

It was Monica. A very naked, disheveled Monica in all her plastic glory sleeping before him on a clearly well-used bed. He felt his stomach lurch as he noticed the remnants of several love bites marring her flawless spray-tanned skin, something that he normally only shared with his _wife_; he looked down, examining his own body in careful scrutiny for any physical evidence of what most obviously occurred the previous night.

He appeared no more mussed than usual on an average morning, his hair wild and his eyes bleary. Nothing out of the ordinary appeared to be present on his form, he was practically home free…Until he noticed the scratches: Dark, puffy red scratches all along his back and shoulders, obviously left by fingernails judging by the perfect spacing between them.

_Oh slag…What am I going to do?! I _can't_ let Kayla see me like this! _

A shiver of cold dread ran through him as he pictured his arrival back at the base; Kayla might've been pregnant, but she wasn't stupid. She was an intelligent woman, and it wouldn't take her long to realize that foul play had occurred last night…

It also wouldn't take her long to figure out who it had been committed with, either.

That was the fact that frightened him more than anything else. Kayla hated liars, Kayla hated cheaters, but the one thing she hated more than anything else was Monica. How could he break this to her without having one of his limbs ripped off? Not easily, that was certain.

"So…you're finally awake…" a sultry voice drifted from behind him. "Mmm…I must say, I haven't felt this good in _ages_."

He whirled around, his narrowed eyes locking onto hers. "Shut up, whore!" he snarled, his lips twisting into a disgusted sneer as she appeared unaffected by his insult, probably used to hearing it. "You did this on purpose!"

"Well, no duh, Captain Obvious," she laughed, sliding out of bed to wrap her arms around him. "And it was _well_ worth it, if I say so myself...Even if you _did_ insist on a condom." Megatron felt his stomach curdle at the seductive tone in her voice, feeling the intense urge to vomit; he was grateful that at least he'd had enough sense to force protection on them. After a reflective pause, Monica continued, "I didn't even know a guy could _do_ those sorts of things with his hands-"

"Shut up!" He wrenched away from her grasp, and hastily began to dress, nearly tearing his shirt in the process. "You're lucky I don't beat you to a bloody pulp!" Without breaking his rhythmic pattern, he tossed a terry robe to his less-than-desired lover, followed by her car keys. "Now take me home!"

* * *

All was quiet as Megatron padded across the threshold of the base; it was barely six 'o clock, and he could still hear the dull thrum of mechs in stasis echoing around the cavernous entrance hall. Not a soul was present in the massive room, and figuring it was safe to continue, he made his way up the long staircase, being exceptionally mindful of the creaky steps every two feet or so. Finally, after inching his way up to the second floor landing, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief…he was almost home free!

His hopes high, he slunk down the hallway quiet as a whisper, his heart thudding uncontrollably as he neared the immense, intricately carved, mahogany double doors of their private quarters. Sweat began to bead his forehead as he reached toward the heavy door handle, the metal squeaking ever so slightly before clicking down into its opened position; the heavy door groaned –much to Megatron's dismay—as it slowly opened outwards to admit him, before giving one last tired utterance as he closed it behind him.

_Whew…_

Unable to help himself, he sighed again, this time even more grateful that his wife wasn't present in the room; he noticed that the living chamber had been tidied, and judging from the sweet smells emanating from the bathroom, she had taken a bath as well. This sudden revelation emboldened him…she's be sound asleep from a hot bath, and wouldn't even notice him as he snuck into bed.

Already congratulating himself on a stealthy job well done, he slipped silently through the living room, and started to reach for the door handle to their bedchamber-

But before he could even touch it, the double doors swung open with a magnificent "_BANG!" _ He flinched at the thought of rousing the mechs from their slumber. However, this proved to be the least of his problems…

Kayla was standing behind where the doors once were, dressed in the beautiful black silk maternity nightgown that Mrs. Witwicky had given a few years prior; she didn't look mad, she didn't look angry…she looked _livid_. Her face had reddened to the point of turning purple, her eyes bloodshot, and her face haggard.

"Hello…_dear_," she seethed, gliding gracefully over the carpet, despite her huge belly. Megatron winced when her face suddenly appeared in front of his, and took note of the dark rings beneath her eyes. "Have a nice night out?"

"Er, yes…" he managed to choke out, avoiding her piercing stare to the best of his ability. "It was a lot of fun."

Her face was barely half an inch from his, and she remained silent for a moment before hissing, "Don't lie to me." He stiffened as her fingernails traced patterns down his neck, trying to fight his physical response to her. Kayla inhaled slowly, as if savoring a delicious scent before continuing, "Don't…lie. I can _smell _your guilt…"

_Oh…frag…_

If she wasn't yelling by now, it was going to be really bad; in this situation, a screaming wife was scary, but a calm wife was terrifying. How could he reveal the truth when she was this riled up? He couldn't, without worrying about the possibility of death, at the moment. It took several minutes for him to gather up enough courage to speak again, but his mind was already working against him.

_Why are you bothering? She's going to see right through it…Just get it over with. If you grit your teeth, it might not be so bad._

He shuddered at the thought of her enraged shrieks filling the tranquil base, breaking over him as wave would a rocky coastline; neither thought was particularly pleasant.

Megatron drew in a shaky breath, placed both hands on her shoulders, and gently lowered her until she was flat on her feet, at her normal height again. "Look," he managed to grit out from between clenched teeth. "I was _sick_. I stayed overnight at the Lennoxes' house, alright?"

He appeared exhausted enough to have been sick, but Kayla still didn't fully buy what he was trying to sell. "Really? What _kind_ of sick?"

"Vomiting." For emphasis, he added a dry heave in as well, fully prepared to _make_ himself throw up to pass the story off.

But it looked like he didn't have to. After several moments of intense scrutiny, his wife narrowed her eyes, grumbled something under her breath, and huffed before dragging him into the bathroom. "Take a shower first…and then join me in bed." He held his breath as she walked closer, and ran a velvety hand down his cheek. "Sorry for being so bitchy, Megs. It's the hormones..." she gestured to her massive stomach. "And even if it doesn't seem like it," he felt a kiss ghost across his lips, a shiver running down his spine, "I love you, you big oaf."

She gave him a final kiss on the cheek before departing, favoring him with a weary smile as she slipped out of the bathroom. Megatron smiled back…but allowed it to fade into a pained grimace as he headed toward the shower. Automatically, he adjusted the knobs until the water temperature was to his liking, before stripping himself of his clothing and stepping inside.

_I can't _believe_ I just did that. How could I have been so stupid?! I should have just told her the truth, and been done with it!_

A shudder of cold dread passed over him –despite the pleasant heat of the water—as he realized that he now had a lie to maintain, like an egg balanced atop his head: one wrong step, and the whole thing 

would splatter. No one could ever know, and he'd make sure it wouldn't somehow find its way back to Kayla. Her fury would be double what it was tonight, and he had no plan to invoke that type of punishment upon himself.

He sighed as he rinsed the last of the shampoo from his hair, and the soap from his body. He carefully stepped onto the polished tile floor before vigorously toweling himself dry; he picked up the light odor of her scented bath that still hung in the air, made slightly more prominent from the shower's moisture, as he pulled on a pair of clean boxers and his pajama pants, smoothing his hair as he exited the bathroom.

By the time Megatron reached their bedroom, Kayla was already asleep, the covers resembling a giant mountain where they covered her swollen abdomen. He couldn't help but smile to himself; never before in all her pregnancies had she been this huge, and the thought of his short little wife being almost as wide as she was tall made him chuckle. The twins were going to be big…_very_ big. And he wasn't just thinking of the babies, either; then again, he was only male. Shouldn't she expect this coming?

Feeling slightly better as he slid under the covers, he breathed in the familiar scent of his wife. Everything would work out in time…but he had to be careful. A final shiver shook his frame before he dropped off into a much-needed slumber.

* * *

Author's Note: Once again, I AM ALIVE! It just might not seem like it from the unacceptable spaces in between my updates, lol.

Things have been really hectic lately; not so much with school as with moving from a cramped apartment to a pretty big condo. I've already got the next chapter in the making, so it shouldn't be nearly as long until my next update!

How was your summer break, guys?! Mine rocked my socks, even though I worked a TON of hours (double overtime!). Anyone do anything fun and exciting?

As always, feel free to leave suggestions (I take all into serious consideration!) and get ready: the first reader-interactive chapter is coming up! Can anyone say Halloween Costume Party?

Okay people, do your thing!


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